4D Movie Experience is Taking Over New York

In a city like New York, there’s never a dull moment. With so many interesting things to do and sights to see, there’s never an excuse to sit at home. And now that the 4D movie experience has settled into the city, New York is most definitely the place to be.

When CJ 4DPLEX – the world’s first 4DX cinema company headquartered in South Korea – announced the opening of its first 4DX cinema in New York earlier this year, people were absolutely brimming with excitement. A few months later, the buzz has not died down. (If anything, the exhilaration has only ramped up.) Despite the fact that tickets for these shows are almost double the price of a regular admission ticket (typically ranging from $25 to $30), the 4DX venues are consistently drawing sellout crowds.

With CJ 4DPLEX planning to venture into two hundred US theaters over the next four years (starting in New York and Los Angeles), we thought you could use a handy informal guide to New York’s riveting 4D movie experience.

Before entering the theater, viewers are given a set of safety guidelines. They are told to “enter at their own risk”, and that neither 4DX nor the movie theater are responsible for any injuries or damages from watching the film. Those who are pregnant, elderly, or have medical conditions are recommended not to undergo the 4DX experience. There is also a height and age requirement (at least 3.5 feet fall and 4 years of age) for viewers. Once the movie has begun, audience members are required to stay seated for the remainder of the show.

According to CJ 4DPLEX’s website, the company promises “the ultimate in state of the art technology delivering a fully immersive cinematic experience”, accompanied by “motion chairs and environmental effects such as wind, bubbles, and scent”. Although this might sound slightly unrealistic at first, CJ 4DPLEX does not under-deliver. 4DX technology is capable of giving audience members more than 1,000 different sensations – synchronized to the action in the movie – as they watch the big screen. From motion-activated seats to unique smells to gusts of wind, there is no limitation to the extent that this technology can enhance a moviegoer’s experience. Mists of water can mimic a splash into a swimming pool, while rumbling seats can make you feel as though you are experiencing a real-life earthquake. In Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, for instance, gently swinging seats mimic a rowboat, tiny nozzles fill the room with a soft breeze and slight fog, and smells of the ocean leak into the theater. Because of all of these extra effects, programming in a 4DX show can take almost a month. However, it appears to be worth the effort – theater revenues have tripled since the new technology was introduced.

It is clear that the 4D movie experience is taking over New York. The excited buzz does not seem like it will be dying down anytime soon, and 4DX theaters have already screened some very well-known films (including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Batman v Superman, Jurassic World, and The Jungle Book). There is no doubt that this impressive trend will continue to have a presence in the city.

So, if you haven’t already, we strongly recommend that you hop on the bandwagon and try out the 4D experience for yourself. A ticket to a 4D movie is, as the great majority of moviegoers have voiced, well worth it. At the very least, you’ll have an interesting story to tell the next time you’re asked about a movie that you’ve recently watched.